Bhubaneswar, May 20: In a major development highlighting Odisha Vigilance’s ongoing crackdown on corruption, two retired government officials were convicted today in separate vigilance cases by Special Vigilance Courts in Bolangir and Cuttack. Both cases were charge-sheeted earlier by the Odisha Vigilance and have culminated in rigorous imprisonment along with financial penalties. Following the convictions, the Vigilance Department will now move the competent authorities to initiate proceedings for the stoppage of their pensions.
In the first case, Kalandi Charan Bhuyan, Former Junior Accountant-cum-Lease Clerk at the Office of the Divisional Forest Officer (Territorial), Bolangir, was convicted by the Hon’ble Special Judge, Vigilance, Bolangir. He had been charge-sheeted in Sambalpur Vigilance PS Case No. 16 dated 27.06.2019 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. The case pertained to the demand and acceptance of a bribe of ₹10,000 from a complainant for granting permission to cut exempted trees standing on farmer-owned lands and to shift the felled timber for sawing purposes. The court sentenced Bhuyan to 3 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹10,000. In light of the conviction, Odisha Vigilance will move the competent authority for the stoppage of his pension.
In the second case, Subash Chandra Mishra, Former Block Development Officer (BDO), OAS-I, of Lefripada Block in Sundargarh district, was convicted by the Hon’ble Special Judge, Vigilance, Cuttack. He was charge-sheeted under Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. The court found him guilty and sentenced him to 2 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹50,000. Odisha Vigilance will also initiate the process for the stoppage of pension benefits for Mishra following his conviction.
